UPDATE: 11/11/24 at 4:48 p.m. ET — Rachael ‘Raygun’ Gunn has clarified comments she made earlier this month about the supposed end of her breakdancing career, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.

“So I was talking, you know, on 2dayFM about how I wasn’t going to do certain competitions anymore, which didn’t seem like a big deal because the break wouldn’t be at the Olympics (at the 2028 Los Angeles Games). ) anyway,” Raygun, 37, said during a recent episode of Australia Today to show.

“But you know, I’m still going to be a part of community jams, or I’d like to go to community jams and still dance and still break – I’ve never used the word ‘retirement,’ but, you know , that I just understand the news cycle,” she continued “I’m not retiring. I’m never going to stop dancing. , you know that’s not the truth. You can’t walk away from an art form. That’s why I’ll never stop.

Original story:

Australian breakdancer Raygun just announced that his first Olympic Games would be his last.

Raygun, 37, revealed on Tuesday (November 5) that she was retiring from professional competition following her viral Paris 2024 Olympics performance. “I still take breaks but I don’t participate in the competition. I’m not going to compete anymore, no,” the athlete, real name Rachael Gunn, shared during an interview on the Australian show. The Jimmy and Nath show.

Raygun said she planned to continue competing in the breakdancing world after the Olympics earlier this summer, but reactions to her performance at the Games made that difficult.

“It seems (like) a really difficult thing to do now, approaching a battle. I still dance and I still break, but it’s like in my living room with my partner,” she explained. “I think the level of scrutiny will be there and, you know, people will film it and it will go live. And it just doesn’t mean the same thing. It won’t be the same experience because of everything that’s at stake.”

Related: Olympic judge reacts to Raygun’s breakdancing: ‘Nothing really shocking’

Australian breaker Raygun is being praised for her courage after her viral performance at the Paris 2024 Olympics, and even an Olympic judge is coming to her defense. “It’s all about originality and it’s all about bringing something new and representing your country or region,” Martin Gilian (aka MGbility), head breaking judge at (…)

Although fans won’t see Raygun on the dance floor again anytime soon, she teased that she has “a few projects going on behind the scenes.” She shared: “It’s kind of the same kind of vibe of trying to bring more positivity, trying to encourage people to dance and have fun and be creative and be them themselves, to be their authentic selves, whatever that may be. look like.”

Raygun was a social media sensation at the Paris Olympics after competing in the first ever breakdancing event of the Games. She didn’t score any wins, but left an impression on viewers with her unique dance moves.

However, her Olympic debut was also criticized, with some viewers comparing her skill level to that of her fellow competitors. A petition A demand for transparency over Raygun’s Olympic selection was launched by fans in August, suggesting she had “manipulated” her way to the Australian team and taken a place among more deserving breakdancers.

Australian demolition organization AUSBreak rushes silence the rumors that Raygun cheated his way into the Olympics. “We condemn the global online harassment and intimidation against Raygun,” the group wrote in a statement. August statement. “The pressure to perform on the Olympic stage is immense, especially against opponents in your particular group. We stand in solidarity with Raygun.

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As Paris passes the torch to Los Angeles as host of the 2028 Summer Olympics, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has already adjusted the schedule of events. In 2023, the IOC approved proposals for five new sports at the 2028 Olympics, some of which – including lacrosse and cricket – were not seen at the (…)

Raygun broke his silence on the reaction later in the month. “I really appreciate the positivity and I’m glad I was able to bring some joy into your lives. This is what I was hoping for,” she said in an Aug. 15 statement. Instagram video. “I didn’t realize that it would also open the door to so much hatred, which has honestly been quite devastating. Even though I went there and had fun, I took it very seriously. I worked really hard to prepare for the Olympics and I really gave it my all.

She continued: “Everyone has been through a lot because of this, so I ask that you respect their privacy. »

Raygun then called the response to his performance at the Olympics “alarming,” saying in a September interview with Australian television channel Channel 10 that viewers were “uninformed” about professional breakdancing.

“I’m truly sorry for the backlash the community has received, but I can’t control how people react,” she said. “Unfortunately we just need more resources in Australia to have any chance of becoming world champions.”